By Gary Bennett
My bold declaration that music from the ‘70s is the best might have raised some eyebrows, especially if you’re not a person of a certain age, but hear me out.
Before I defend myself, I don’t think you can blame me.
It’s a well-known truism that people tend to carry the music of their youth with them all their lives. It makes perfect sense.
When we are young, the world is full of possibilities, good times and any number of wonders we have yet to experience. And somehow, music makes all of it even better.
I can still remember teasing my mom and dad for playing their big-band sounds of the ‘40s and old-time country hits of the ‘50s on their gigantic, living room stereo. “They should really get with it,” I thought.
Well, now it’s my turn to get with it, but I just can’t let go.
How can I when my first memory of really enjoying music is as vivid today as it was then? I was lying in my bed in 1972 with my transistor radio nestled to my ear, listening to some faraway AM radio station playing Elton John’s “Rocket Man.” I felt so alone yet so connected to the rest of the world.
I was born at the perfect time. In the 1970s, I went from 13 years old to 23 years old. I graduated from high school smack dab in the middle — 1975 — and from college as the decade ended. That time of life, I believe, is when we really discover the joy of music. It’s the time of first jobs, first kisses, making friends and discovering what you are all about. As all this swirls around you, music provides soundtrack to your life.
Frederick’s Weinberg Center for the Arts will give me another chance to revel in the music of my youth on April 26 when Neil Berg brings his Broadway-quality troop of vocalists and musicians to town with his show “The 70’s: Long Live Rock N’ Roll.”
Berg has been to Frederick before with his show “50 Years of Rock N’ Roll.” This new show promises to recreate the sounds and spirit of the ‘70s with stories and songs from iconic names like Elton John, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel.
I’ll be there.
Now, back to my thesis.
Many music historians agree with me that the music of the ‘70s is the best, but even if that were not so, I would still argue that the sheer variety of music and artists pushing the envelope to create new genres and sounds is unmatched by any other decade.
There were emerging genres like funk, heavy metal and disco. What constituted rock ‘n’ roll, pop, soul and even country became more and more blurred as artists “crossed-over” and experimented with strings, electronic instruments and synthesizers. What emerged was a nourishing stew of unique and memorable sounds that had something for everyone.
The ‘70s began on a sour note, however: the disbanding of the Beatles. Although we didn’t know it at the time, this seismic shift in the music world created a vacuum that drew in all types of new sounds. Add to this heartbreak the early ‘70s drug overdose deaths of ‘60s rock legends Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison, and the slate seemed to be wiped clean.
First on the scene were the sensitive singer-songwriters. These were some of my favorites. This list includes household names like Elton John, James Taylor, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Simon and Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, Barry Manilow, Billy Joel, John Denver, Jimmy Buffet, Neil Diamond and, of course, each of the four ex-Beatles. They brought thoughtful lyrics, heartfelt emotion and acoustic instruments to the mix. They provided music that felt raw and emotional, often focusing on storytelling and real experiences that resonated with listeners.
Female solo artists came into their own in the early ‘70s, too. Besides King and Mitchell, artists like Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, Roberta Flack, Olivia Newton-John, Joan Baez and Helen Reddy provided a new voice to pop music.
In the ‘70s, Black music expanded from soul into funk with the raw city sounds of James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Parliament, Funkadelic, War, and Sly and the Family Stone. With funk music, rhythm and beat were emphasized over melody, to great effect. Most of these artists had no trouble landing in the mainstream Top 40 charts, as young people became more adventurous in their musical tastes. Rap music even has its roots in the ‘70s.
Pure soul music from the Motown record label got even better. Unparalleled artists like Stevie Wonder; Marvin Gaye; Kool & the Gang; Earth, Wind & Fire; the Spinners; the Stylistics; the Temptations; Barry White; the O’Jays; Gladys Knight & the Pips; and the Jacksons became cross-over sensations. Stevie Wonder’s 1974 masterpiece album, “Songs in the Key of Life,” and Marvin Gaye’s thought-provoking single “What’s Going On” brought a whole new vibrancy and mass-appeal to soul music.
Even rock ‘n’ roll music went through changes in the ‘70s, as it entered its own teen years. Somehow, it got divided into hard rock and soft rock.
Soft rock featured acoustic instruments and prioritized melodies and harmonies over a hard-driving beat. Some of the top soft rock bands of the ‘70s are legendary. Fleetwood Mac with their seminal 1977 album “Rumours,” dominated the chart for a couple of years. Others included Paul McCartney & Wings, America, the Hollies, Steely Dan, Rod Stewart and Faces, Hall & Oates, Queen, ABBA, the Doobie Brothers, Chicago and Three Dog Night.
The soft rock superstar band, the Eagles, were (and still are) in a category of their own. They pioneered the laid back, California sound with exquisitely tight harmonies, an at-times hard-driving beat, and relatable lyrics. Their work-of-genius single “Hotel California” became one of the defining songs of the ‘70s. To this day, they sell out the largest venues worldwide.
During the ‘70s, a distinctive sound emerged that became known as Southern rock. It fused rock, country and blues into an unforgettable and instantly recognizable sound led by electric guitars and whiskey-tinged vocals. Stalwarts like the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ozark Mountain Daredevils and the Marshall Tucker Band led the way. Even country audiences took to this new brand of rock music.
The hard rockers had their own iconic bands, too. It was the decade of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Kiss, Deep Purple and Judas Priest. The all-time great band, The Rolling Stones, much like the Eagles in the soft rock category, reside in their very own musical stratosphere, undeniably great in the ‘60s, ’70s and ‘80s.
While the ’60s had their British Invasion that knocked many of the old standby singers into the realm of the forgotten, many folks forget that the ‘70s had their own invasion: the disco invasion of 1976.
Love it or hate it, there is no denying that disco music, derived from the dance clubs and discotheques of New York City, enjoyed about five years of unsurpassed popularity. The invasion was led by an unlikely group that was already here: the Bee Gees.
They somehow were able to re-create themselves from syrupy balladeers in the early ‘70s to the founders of disco music. They dominated the charts in the mid- to late-‘70s with a string of No. 1 singles and albums, including the best-selling soundtrack of all-time, “Saturday Night Fever.” At one Beatle-like point in time, they had five songs in the top 10 and three songs in the top five of the Billboard chart simultaneously. They are universally considered to be one of the most important acts of all time.
Other offshoots of rock and soul music emerged with their own superstar artists and devoted fans: punk rock, blue-eyed soul, progressive rock and new wave. In a category all his own, Bob Marley introduced the world to reggae music in the ‘70s and became one of the best-selling artists of all time.
Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.